How to keep ant out of hummingbird feeders?

Kate N
by Kate N

I have a hummingbird feeder that’s on a shepherds hook, is there a way to keep ants from climbing the hook and fouling my Hummingbird feeder? At the moment I’m trying Neem Oil, but have also tried Ant Shield ( the latter works for a bit, unfortunately lately we’ve been getting rain daily). Just wondering if anyone has had success with anything else.

  4 answers
  • Nannie The Great.... Nannie The Great.... on Sep 05, 2018

    lowes has a small red thing to keep ants off your feeder and it works great,It cost about $6.00

  • Chaz Chaz on Sep 05, 2018

    First try wiping down the pole on shepherds stem to the ground there is probably some sugar in the juice that is drawing them up to feeder?

    1.Then if there is a trail of ants put some corn meal down around the ground and they will take that back to nest and die. or 2. Mix 1 cup of warm water, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of Borax and cotton balls till soaked, then take a cheap plastic container with lid make holes in and around the bottom sides of container add soaked cotton balls and put lid on and set near the ant trails. if you do not have container the place wet cotton balls on wax paper and lay that where you wish to.

    Just something to try? I had a trail of ants and did this near my plants and the next day no ants, the corn meal and ant trap.

  • Sea21436844 Sea21436844 on Sep 06, 2018

    The easiest solution I've found is to coat the Shepard hook, top to bottom with Vaseline. They can't climb, wipe off and repeat as necessary.

  • May9854282 May9854282 on Sep 06, 2018

    I have the small red water moat for hummingbird feeders also . It works . The moat has a hook attached above it to connect to the shepherds hook or whatever it hangs from . It also has a hook attached to the bottom of it which attaches to the feeder . When I fill the feeder , water is added to the moat .

    • Kate N Kate N on Sep 13, 2018

      yup, had a feeder like that. Apparently my ants can swim.